Apocalypse
by CherrySpringer
Summary: There were only two choices: Outlive the one you loved, or bring them with you into that world of despair. However, dying was the one option I wasn’t able to take, no matter how much I wanted to. Lavi/Allen Laven AU
1. A Lonely Soul

Disclaimer: I can't believe I forgot this...*sigh* I don't own D. Gray-Man

Summary: Lavi was a vampire, Allen was a human. Allen, still so young, saw Lavi as something angelic. He didn't see the demonic side that was really there. Lavi saw Allen as a chance at life again, a way of purifying himself from his past sins. No matter how stupid it may have seemed at the time.

* * *

Chapter 1: A Lonely Soul

The blaring sound from all around psyched the mortals as they pushed together, closer and closer to the stage where the band was playing, all of them covered in sweat. Somewhere, someone had gotten cut. The smell of the blood pulled me closer to the wall of people, so tight together that a normal human would never be able to push their way through.

I was no normal human.

The young mortals complained and yelled as I pushed them aside, bringing myself deeper and deeper into the crowd, the muddled scents burning my nose. How many females could there be who wore perfume to a rock concert? Although, there were still plenty of masculine perfumes mixed in as well.

The smell of the blood led me to the very center of the crowd, where a young girl (they always had the best smelling blood) was jumping up and down, a tiny little cut on her shoulder. Beside her, a male wearing a leather jacket with spikes and studs all over it was also jumping.

The girl jumped as I slid my arms around her waist, running my nose along the length of her neck, breathing in the sweet, succulent scent of her blood. I could feel my instincts taking over, to sink my fangs into her throat and taste that sweet, red liquid that ran through her young veins. A shiver ran along her body, most likely reacting to the touch of my cold skin.

"Hello." I said lightly into her ear. Her head turned so that she was looking into my eyes, bright emerald green that probably took her breath away. We had that effect on people.

"H-hi…" she breathed, her violet eyes staring into mine and her cheeks becoming more flushed than they already were from the concert. I could imagine the things going on in her head, how eccentric her thoughts most likely were as she wondered how something so beautiful had come to her. It would most likely be better if she didn't find out.

"Having fun?" I asked, smiling. I heard her heart accelerate, her pulse going wild, only making my mouth salivate more than it had already begun.

"Yeah…" She whispered, and then seeming to realize how loud it was she raised her voice, suddenly gaining confidence. A smile lit her features. "Yeah, this is a blast!"

"Great to hear it," I said, no louder than normal. She still heard it.

"Are you…a part of the band or something?" for a moment, she looked a little hopeful, but I smiled secretively.

"I may or may not be. If I were, I'm afraid it would be classified information." I said lightly, my eyes straying to the stage. The guitarist, with his long velvety black hair that was tied back by a black ribbon, was staring directly at me, his piercing black eyes glaring into mine. My smile turned from secretive to playful.

His feminine face turned into a full out scowl and he looked back to his guitar defiantly.

"So you are." She said it so simply and plainly that I was a little surprised. I blinked, looking at the girl again, and she was no longer staring at me in awe but in amusement.

"Huh?" was my intelligent reply.

"You're kind of funny." The girl said, smiling gently.

"Am I?" I purred, grinning slyly.

"What are you doing after the concert?" the girl asked innocently, and I smiled deviously.

"Do you want to find out?" I whispered into her ear, and a shiver ran through her body. When I looked at her face again, she was once again blushing, and her eyes had a sort of glazed look to them. All she did was nod. "Excellent. You're going to have the night of your life."

"I'm looking forward to it." She whispered. I leaned forward, pressing my lips gently against hers, before pulling back and stepping away, almost immediately being consumed by the crowd.

"I'll find you after the show." I called, turning around and heading back to the very back of the club, maneuvering my way out of the crowd easily. When the bartender saw me, he gave me a small smile and a wave. I returned the gesture, heading for the shiny black door that would lead me to the dressing rooms for the bands. A large man with the typical look for a human bodyguard, bald and made of pure muscle, stood before the door.

"Pass." He said, his hands behind his back.

"Here," I pulled out my pass, and he gave a firm nod, stepping aside and opening the door for me. I gave him a smile in thanks, stepping into the brightly lit halls. It took not even a millisecond for my eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness, the view before me amusing me.

In the middle of the hall sat a young girl, maybe twelve years old, with her spiky blue hair framing her pretty, pale face. Amber eyes stared down at the floor, and she was sitting with her legs crossed, an extremely serious expression on her face that didn't really suit her. Her eyes flitted up when the door opened, and her expression suddenly brightened.

"Lavi!" The small girl cried, suddenly jumping on me.

"Rhode, what are you doing?" I asked as she found a way to get from my front to my back, clinging onto me. Rolling my eyes, I grabbed her legs and held her up, though I knew she didn't need it.

"I've been so bored!" She cried, nuzzling into my neck. I smiled a little, pulling an arm away from her leg and reaching back to ruffle her hair.

"Why aren't you with Tykki and Lero?" I asked. An odd sound came from her, and she lifted her face from my neck. I brought my arm back under her leg.

"They're being boring, too. Lero's saying that if I play with him anymore he'll bite me, and Tykki won't take his nose out of his book." Rhode sighed, pouting forlornly, causing my smile to stretch.

"Well, it sounds like both of them, doesn't it?" I asked, walking forward. Rhode's feathery weight disappeared, and she reappeared beside me.

"But it's no fun! Whenever Kanda goes off to do these stupid concerts we all have to go, too, just because of his stupid temper, and that means that I'm left completely bored." Rhode sighed heavily. "I want to go out there and actually see his Lives."

"You're not old enough to be in a club." I said airily, raising a perfect hand to my eyes for inspection. A single speck of dirt was under a nail, and with ease I dug it out with my thumbnail, flicking the speck away. Beside me, Rhode began another complaint.

"I'm older than all of those humans, I don't see why I have to be stuck in these stupid halls every place we go. None of their stupid drugs or alcohol will have any effect on me, and none of them could ever possibly hurt me. Stupid humans and their stupid laws. I don't see why we need them." She muttered, still pouting.

"If you were a human child, you'd be too fragile to go into a place like that." I replied, stopping in front of a simple wood door. I turned the knob, the room beyond coming into plain view. "If I were still human I wouldn't be allowed in those bars either, since I would have been too young as well, but thanks to fake ID cards it's easy for teenagers to get into clubs these days."

"What're you two pointlessly talking about now?" A voice drawled, and I looked in the very corner of the room. Sitting in a stiff chair was Tykki, reading a history book, his curly black hair framing his pale, handsome face. Two auburn eyes looked up to meet mine.

He and Rhode were siblings, from back when they had been humans. They used to have chocolate brown eyes, but like my eyes they became a lot more spectacular after being changed. I used to have eyes that couldn't choose between being hazel or green, but after being changed they had turned to the color of emerald.

"Rhode is bored with Yuu's Lives." I explained shortly, walking across the room. "They're getting more and more popular, after all."

I took a seat next to an orange cat with two black eyes and very sharp teeth (I knew from it biting me), its tail swishing impatiently. It looked up at me with intelligent eyes. "Was it crowded out there?" Lero asked, his annoying voice coming from the cat's mouth.

"Yeah, there was such little space to walk through that I actually had to go at a normal speed in order to get to the center." Here, everyone looked at me curiously.

"You usually just watch from the back; why the sudden change?" Tykki asked, his eyes returning to his book.

"Someone got cut." I shrugged. Tykki's shoulder's tensed and Rhode let out a small moan.

"Don't even talk about that…I'm starving…" She whined, stretching out on the floor. If a mortal had of walked in at that moment, it would have been extremely easy to see up her short little skirt and see her candy patterned underwear. Her little black cardigan lifted a little, revealing some of her flat, pale stomach.

"You're more like a cat than Lero." I commented, grinning down at her. She glared at me playfully. "I have a date tonight, so you'll be hunting without me."

"You got a date?" Rhode asked, suddenly looking a little angry. "With who?"

"The girl who got cut." The grin that followed my words eased Rhode's anger. Instead, she looked a little smug. A human probably would have their blood curdling.

"Poor girl. I almost feel sorry for her." She whispered, dropping her head into her folded arms. She began humming into the floor.

"I promised her the night of her life." I said gently, leaning back in my chair and staring up at the ceiling. Tykki snorted from where he was in his chair, but I didn't say anything about it. I frowned, narrowing my eyes. A stray piece of red hair suddenly floated into my vision, almost the same color as the blood that had been seeping out of her skin. I flicked the lock, but it fell right back.

I hadn't even bothered licking the blood off. If I did, I wouldn't have been able to control myself. It was hard enough to control myself around so many humans; if I were to actually taste that girl's blood then I probably would have gone on a frenzy. None of the humans would have been left alive.

Yuu wouldn't have been very impressed.

I tried not to think of the way I would feel after taking the girl's life. I knew how much of a monster I was, and I knew that what I did was evil, disgusting and unforgivable, but there was no way I could help it. I had tried not to feed before, and the result had ended up messy. Rhode very nearly found herself dead during that period of time in which I had tried to stop being such a monstrosity.

I had tried feeding on animal blood before, but the next morning I had thrown up for the first time in a century. I tried only going after bad guys, but I usually ended up feeing on the victim, too, if they were still near. I tried only feeding once a week.

It was a success.

I would slip every now and then, feed two nights in a row or a couple of days early, but otherwise it worked out fine. Rhode had tried the diet with me, but she found it too difficult since Tykki refused to try and kept on bringing back the fresh scent of blood every night, which was too much for the girl to handle. She may have been a couple of centuries old, but her childish nature was still there, and most likely always would be. She would never be given the chance to grow up.

Which was why she and her brother had run away, joined me. They had taken Lero, the cat that was a sort of servant to their previous master, only because Rhode had gotten so attached to playing with him. It had happened so long ago that even my vampiric brain had a little difficulty remembering every single little detail that had happened back then, although it was only small things, like what the human I had fed on that night had looked like.

I had been a guest to their master, staying in his hospitality for a few years. He was called the Duke, since no one knew his real name and he gave his real name to no one. During those years, Rhode and Tykki grew close to me, the newest members to the Duke's coven. I had come a year into their births, when they were still considered fresh.

They liked my idealism on the world, and the way I perceived things. They liked the fact that I treated them like equals, and not like the younglings they were. The other people in the coven treated them like slaves, making them do everything, and if they did something wrong then they were thrown in a cellar for a week without any food.

I had, in a way, saved them. Now, two hundred and thirty two years later, we were still together. Sometimes I wondered if Rhode chose to forget those times, and other times I saw in her eyes when she remembered something from those days. Tykki, however, made it very obvious that he didn't forget. The reason he had so bluntly refused to try my diet was because he remembered those days in the cellars, unable to feed.

Tykki had a tendency to be stubborn.

I had five hundred years on them, though a lot of the time it wouldn't seem that way. Not the way Tykki acted, anyways. Lero, however, was very nearly the same age as me. The Duke exceeded my age, though not by much. I hadn't seen him since the night I had left, Tykki and Rhode hot on my tracks. I wasn't really looking forward to our next meeting. We now purposefully avoided Venice, where his Coven still remained.

"We have to leave Japan soon." Tykki muttered, closing his book and breaking my train of thought. He looked at me pointedly. "Kanda's had five years to stay with his band. Any longer and they'll start getting suspicious why he hasn't aged."

"I know, but you'll have to confront him about that." I sighed, running a hand over my face. Yuu, the one person who I called a friend. To me, Rhode and Tykki were my mentors, the ones I watched over no matter how old they got over time. Yuu was the one who followed me no matter what, just like I followed him.

We had found each other long, long ago, when I had visited Japan during the Kamakura era. I had still been relatively young then, not even a century old. He, too, had yet to be a century old, though he couldn't remember exactly how old he was, since he was unbelievably forgetful, even now. I had sort of become used to it over time.

I wasn't really sure when we actually became comrades, when my little stalking session turned into traveling together, when our hate-hate relationship turned into a love-hate relationship. It had sort of just smoothly run together until one day Yuu asked where our next destination was, which was when I had realized our friendship.

Vampires find it difficult to make friends. Because of the fact that we never died unless somehow murdered, or deciding to go suicidal, it was easy to get bored with things, including each other. Usually, the only time a vampire is ever able to find someone to stay with for the rest of time was when they found their match, their soul mate, their other half.

Yuu and I definitely weren't anything like that, but somehow we were able to tolerate each other. After almost seven hundred years of traveling with each other, the only thing we were tired of was the fact that we had already seen the whole world. We were able to create a bond of friendship that I only ever saw humans create. It was sort of a miracle.

Tykki and Rhode were able to be together because they used to share the same blood. They were not my friends but my followers, which was more or less different from friendship, though I treated them no differently than I treated Yuu. In a way, we were sort of a coven, which was how we all tolerated each other, but if Tykki and Rhode were to leave, it wasn't like Yuu and I would suddenly separate too.

"Japan is starting to get boring…" Rhode moaned, stopping her humming. I had been so entranced in my thoughts that when she stopped humming, it was like something had turned off in my brain, distracting me.

"Why'd you stop?" I asked. "It was helping me think."

"You like my voice?" She asked, suddenly eager. I winced.

"Yeah." I said, giving her a smile. "But I bet I'm better."

"Shut up…" Rhode muttered, pouting and dropping her head again. However, she started to hum again, whether to please me or not I wasn't sure.

She was right about one thing, though; Japan was starting to get a little lame. Being a vampire, I was used to traveling. Staying in one spot for too long made me uneasy. Yuu, though, wanted to stay in his homeland for a while, to see what it turned into. We had done this before in the Edo era, before we had picked up Tykki and Rhode.

Back then, they hadn't had all of the inventions and forms of entertainment and traveling that they did now. Back then, Japan was a little more durable, since it was actually relatively peaceful compared to other places, despite all of the warring and conflicts. The wars didn't really reach the quiet little villages, which were only really effected by taxing and by bandits whenever they came around.

Life had been a lot easier back then compared to now, too. It was more difficult to conceal ourselves now, except for the fact that it wasn't really suspicious to never sleep, since tons of people did it all the time now. Now, all we had to do was say we had Amnesia and we got the go free card. So many people out there tried to look like us, that our appearance of pale skin and weird colored eyes wasn't really noticed.

What really made it easy to find us was the police force. If a vampire wasn't careful, they could end up being tracked by the FBI or whatever major force was present in whatever country. Technology made it possible to realize that we had no body warmth, and no beating heart. It also gave us no warning if a human were to take a picture of us.

Before, all there was were paintings. People had to have to sit still for hours so they could paint you, but now, all you needed was a little click before your face was recorded. All that would be needed is having a series of pictures from back when cameras were created to now of the same person and we could be discovered.

Technology was a dangerous thing.

The sound of a book slamming shut, louder than anything else in the room, made me jump. I looked to where Tykki sat, glaring down at his book with his jaw clenched. "Stupid book…" he hissed, throwing it across the room with a tiny flick of the wrist. It landed with a thud, bouncing off the door.

"Did they record something wrong again?" I asked, relaxing again. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop reading them when you already know everything that happened? If you don't know something, then just ask me and I can tell you how it went."

"You weren't alive a thousand years ago." Tykki snapped, short tempered as always when he was waiting to feed.

"You weren't reading a book from a thousand years ago." I pointed out. Tykki huffed, standing up abruptly.

"I'm sick of this." He hissed. "I'm leaving."

"Eh? What do you mean?" Rhode asked, sounding worried as she pulled her head up from the floor.

"I need to feed." Tykki muttered, heading for the door. It slammed open before he reached it, causing him to stop, and all eyes turned to the doorway.

"The _hell_ were you doing with that human girl?" Yuu's voice reached my ears, much louder than it needed to be, as I stared him in the eyes.

"Why does it matter to you?" I asked, frowning. "You don't know her, do you?"

"I…No…" Yuu stuttered, his face suddenly becoming nervous. I imagined a blush across his cheeks as he stood there, suddenly embarrassed.

"Oh, I didn't know she was your prey. If that's the case, then go ahead and have her. Tell her you're taking my place. I'm sure she'll be plenty happy." I stood up, reaching Yuu in a millisecond. I leaned into his ear. "Don't be too rough."

"Idiot rabbit!" Yuu snapped, reaching out to take my throat, but I was gone before he could.

"You have to be faster than that," I chided, behind him. Yuu turned, faster than I had moved, and reached out for me. Fortunately, my reflexes were amazing, and I dodged his attack, though barely. "Aw, you ripped my shirt," I complained, looking down at the black dress shirt.

"Good, you look too much like a fucking manager anyways." Yuu snapped, pulling back his fist to be ready for another attack. I let out a heavy sigh.

"Yuu, fighting with me is pointless." I stated dully, his fist flying for me. Taking my first bit of action, I grabbed his fist. The punch stopped, the impact from his fist colliding with my hand causing me to slide back a little. Yuu wasn't known for being weak, but I was still strong enough to at least stop him.

"Let go." He snapped.

"Nope." I said, grinning. "Why're you acting like this, anyways? I'm giving you what you want."

"I don't fucking want her!" Yuu yelled out, his other fist flying. I hadn't been expecting that, and by the time I realized what was going to happen it was too late for me to dodge. His fist connected with my face, and if I were a normal human being my entire facial structure would have completely shattered.

As it was, it would probably leave a mark. Vampire or not, we were still able to bleed and be injured.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!" I yelled out, letting go of his fist and clutching at my face. I fell to my knees, looking up at Yuu with a pitiful expression. "Yuu-u!" I prolonged his name, wining.

"Don't give me that fucking look." Yuu snapped, turning away from me. "Do what you want."

"That seemed a little harsher than usual." Rhode mused, pressing a finger to her mouth curiously. "Lavi, are you okay?"

I didn't say anything, sniffling in an attempt to get Yuu to look at me, but when it was clear he would show no sympathy and he stomped into the room, I let out a heavy sigh, dropping my hand from my face. "I'm fine…" I muttered, sulking. "Yuu doesn't love me, that's all…"

"Keh, the fuck you talking about, love?" He spat the word, as if it were venom. I thought about what he said, grinning.

"You know, it sounded like you just called me love." I pointed out happily. Yuu froze where he sat, his eyes widening, before his teeth snapped shut and he looked away, heavily glaring at the wall.

"Shut up, idiot rabbit." He snapped, standing up before I could say anything else. "Get out. I want to change."

"You don't like your punk clothes?" I asked, my eyes scanning his body. He wore a black muscle shirt, showing his lean and muscular arms, with a pair of tight jeans that looked like they hurt. A black leather armband reached from his wrist to his elbow, spikes all along one side. Those probably would have left a lot of damage if he had of decided to use those when he was attacking me.

"Just get the fuck out." He snapped. Rhode was out the door in seconds, flying down the hall laughing, while Tykki took his time. I stood up, waiting for Tykki to leave. When I looked him in the eyes, he understood I was waiting and sped up. Soon, he was following after Rhode.

"I'll leave her." I said calmly, leaning against the doorway. Yuu slipped off his shirt, walking to one of the chairs where a change of clothes lay.

"Don't bother." Yuu sounded a little calmer, but not much. "She already has someone after her."

This surprised me. "We're not alone?" I asked.

"The new guy." Yuu whispered, reaching for the shirt that was folded on the chair. He shook it out, revealing that it was a normal brown t-shirt with a company logo splayed across the front. "You know, the one who joined last week."

"He's going for the girl that I found tonight?" I asked, frowning in confusion. "Isn't that a bit too much of a coincidence?"

"What was a coincidence was her getting cut. Maybe it was just irony, I don't know." Yuu sighed, beginning to undo his pants. His eyes snapped to me, giving me a pointed look. I turned obediently, resting my head against the doorway as I stared at the plain beige walls.

"So, who is she?" I asked.

"She's a Chinese girl. She's only in Japan for another week before she leaves, but if this keeps up then the last place she'll ever be is Japan. She speaks English and Japanese besides both Mandarin and Cantonese. She's only sixteen and she already knows so much…" Yuu trailed off, sounding different. After a moment, his hand was suddenly on my shoulder. I turned, looking down. He was wearing a pair of straight leg faded jeans.

"Nice choice." I said bluntly, his hand falling back to his side. Yuu was scowling heavily, but I could tell he wasn't really angry. Well, not with me.

"Lavi, I'm going to have to ask you to find yourself a new date." Yuu wasn't really serious about too many things, and it took him a long time to admit something if it was even just a tad bit embarrassing, but once he wanted something and was serious about it, there was nothing that could stop him from getting it.

"Already done." I grinned cheekily, patting his cheek twice before turning away from him. "You'll have to find her. I didn't make a meeting place. Then again, I guess I don't really have to tell you that, do I? Eavesdropper."

"Shut up." Yuu hissed, turning back into the room.

"You should change. You know, wear something nice." I said absently before walking away. "A different pair of pants, darker. The shirt is okay, I guess, just wear a black hoodie."

"I don't need your fucking styling bullshit," Yuu snapped, obviously angry. I didn't say anything, smiling to myself. Despite his potty mouth (I could tell he loved this day and age, since he was able to swear so much and be so vulgar), I knew he would end up taking my advice.

I reached where Tykki and Rhode were not long after, where they were waiting for Yuu, not me, outside of the club. They both looked a little surprised to see me.

"Where's Kanda?" Rhode asked, hopping off of the bars she was sitting on. People were looking at us curiously, a couple of girls blushing as they passed.

"He's taking my place. I decided I wanted to hunt tonight." I said easily, giving a large grin. Tykki rolled his eyes and Rhode gave me a knowing look.

"Well, let's go already." Tykki snapped, obviously getting impatient. He was just as bad as Yuu when he was in this sort of mood.

"Alright! One, two, three…" a playful grin spread across my face as I raised my hand, getting ready to pull it down and signal the start. Rhode and Tykki crouched, ready to run. "Go!"

* * *

Blood was such a beautiful smell. It wasn't the iron or the vitamins that made it smell so beautiful, but the person themselves. Depending on who the person was, what race they were, how old they were, what kind of health problems or diseases they had, everything about them changed the scent of their blood from other people.

Finding good prey could sometimes be difficult, and one thing to never do would be to hunt in or near a hospital. They all had disgusting smelling blood, even the nurses and doctors from all of the stuff they end up inhaling or just from being around it all day long every day. The best places to hunt would be a park, if it were during the daytime. During the nighttime it was only filled with hobos and dangerous gang members who all stank like shit.

Therefore, during the nighttime, the best place to hunt is near restaurants. _Expensive_ ones.

Rich people always tasted good, since they always ate the best food and were always healthy. No diseases to worry about, no lack of blood, no need to worry about them ending up being some starved kid who desperately needed help. I hated feeding on poor people.

They didn't taste bad, I just felt unbelievably guilty when I killed one of them. I felt guilty enough killing _anybody_, but a child or a person who was struggling in life only made me feel bad for weeks.

My record was completely clean when it came to fourteen and younger. I had once killed a fifteen year old, though it had been sort of an accident (he had lied about his age, I thought he was seventeen). However, that was the youngest I had killed. I refused to take away the life of a child.

The sound of two people laughing reached my ears, and my head snapped up from where I was leaning against a tree, attempting to make it look like I was taking a nap if human eyes were able to see me in the darkness.

"You're a funny man," a woman's voice reached my ears. She was speaking in English. "And you're quite wealthy, too. I can't believe you actually brought me all the way to Japan for a week!"

"It was nothing. Without you it would have been unbelievably boring." A deeper voice, one that was clearly male, reached my ears. His voice slurred a little, showing that he had been drinking. The scent of alcohol drifted into my nose.

"Oh, don't say that," the woman giggled, obviously pleased. "But wow, this place is amazing! That food was delicious!"

"You thought so? I thought it was a little bitter, but if you liked it then I'm glad." I wrinkled my nose in disgust, not liking the way they were so obviously trying to flatter each other. Didn't they realize that they had already fucked last night? What was the point in being modest? "Ah, but tomorrow I'm going to have to leave you alone. My business partner and I need to do our work."

"Oh, that's alright. I'm sure I can find a way to spend my time." The woman replied, and I rolled my eyes. _Yeah, probably looking for some poor man to seduce._

"Well then, I guess everything will be fine. After tomorrow we should only have to have one more meeting and then the rest of my time is completely free." The man sounded like he was grinning. My eyes strayed to where they were walking, to my left, and I saw the two of them walking arm in arm. They were both skinny and good-looking. Of course they were.

One; a woman like that wouldn't bother with a man unless he was good looking or wealthy. Clearly he was both.

Two; a man like him wouldn't pick up a woman he had met on the streets one day unless she looked as much like a model as she did.

They smelt good, though. The woman unbelievably so. She had probably only had a couple of small drinks of sake or something, but the man smelt heavily like beer. It ruined his scent a little.

I stood up, brushing off my clothes, and went onto the path. I began to walk towards them, keeping my eyes away from them. They grew silent when they saw me, the woman giving a small cough, and I knew they were waiting to pass me.

They would never get the chance.

When they were two feet in front of me, I stopped. Obviously, they had either been hoping that this wouldn't happen or really not expecting it, because the woman immediately let out a small squeak while the man pulled her behind him, swallowing nervously.

"Hello," I said kindly. I guess the fact that I spoke English, and the fact that I had spoken nicely, made them relax. Probably, even if I hadn't sounded nice, they would have relaxed anyways. They probably had some deluded thought in their head that if the person was English, they were trustable.

"Is there something you would like, sir?" The man asked, letting go of the woman, who took her place beside him again.

"Well, yes, but I'm not so sure you'd give it to me…" I sighed tragically, looking him in the eyes before looking down. "Well, not willingly, anyways."

"How old are you, kid?" The man asked, taking in how young I looked.

"Hmm, I'm not really sure…somewhere in the seven hundreds," I shrugged, smiling. The man grinned, and the woman giggled a little.

"Good one." He said, wrapping an arm around the woman's shoulders. "So, what do you need, son?"

"Your life."

_Joke's over_, I wanted to say. _Time to face reality._

His laugh boomed throughout the park that was just outside the most expensive restaurant in the area. "You're a funny one, you are!" He yelled, obviously trying to cover the nervousness he was probably feeling. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead, giving him away. I grinned, feeling my fangs extend, growing over my lower lip.

"Well, that's great to know," I whispered. The man's smile faded away, and I could hear both of their hearts beating frantically. Juicy, blood filled hearts that gave them life. I could already feel my teeth sinking into them.

"Look, kid, you don't know who you're dealing with…" the man gasped, his face growing white with fear. I frowned, taking a step forward. I think that broke them. The woman turned, running, while the man attempted to turn, but I grabbed him before he could even move. My fist curled around his neck, I squeezed.

I could feel the bones cracking, the blood beginning to seep out of his neck as my nails dug into his skin. Like a Pezz candy toy, his head popped off of his neck, my nails gouging into it. Half of the neck still remained, the blood spouting out, hitting me in the face. I grinned.

I let go of him, and as the man fell, dead, I looked up. The woman was still running, though it appeared she had tripped a few times over her too-long dress and her heels. I laughed a little, leaning forward. She fell, and I was there.

I grabbed her dress as she scrambled to get up, the dress tearing from the two forces pulling it apart. A little surprised, I stared at the shredded cloth, briefly distracting me from my prey, before the scream echoed in my ears. I cursed, praying that people wouldn't come before I was finished, and grabbed the woman by the arm.

She was staring at the blood on my face, her eyes so wide and scared that I was surprised they didn't burst. Her teeth were grinding so hard I could hear them chipping.

"Pl-please…please…" she gasped, as I let her go. She fell to the ground, her legs failing on her. The dress had torn all the way down her front, revealing her braless chest. Her breasts were plump, her nipples hard with fear and the sudden chill. Underneath her left breast was her luscious heart. "I didn't do anything…I'm not a part of this…I don't want to die!"

"Everyone's a part of this." I muttered, crouching down. I wrapped my hand around her slender neck and lifted her up, standing up again. Her hands wrapped around my wrist, her nails digging in, her legs swinging as she desperately struggled. I was taller than her, and I had her lifted a foot off the ground, yet her feet still desperately searched for ground.

Sometimes I wondered if humans were just pathetic, or if they really did have some sort of sense in them.

"Pl…" she tried to get out, but I squeezed. Her death was quicker than the man's. Her body fell to the ground, and I licked off the blood on my hand, feeling the electric shock it sent through my bones.

I leaned down, placing my hand over where her heart was, ignoring the gruesome stump where her head once was, now a few feet away, and pressed.

The heart was still beating. It almost tickled as I held it in the palm of my hand, staring at it in wonder. With a small smile, I leaned forward, sinking my teeth into the organ. After this, I still had plenty left to go.

* * *

"Stupid, stupid woman…she actually left marks on my wrist…Jesus Christ, what the hell are they using these days for fake nails?" I hissed, grumbling as I lifted myself out of the river. A lot of the time I was thankful for being a vampire, since getting cold wasn't necessarily part of the description.

Shaking my hair like a dog, I began to ring out my clothes, now free of blood. The river here was extremely convenient, allowing me to hunt without an extra set of clothes.

"God damn people came too soon, too…" I muttered. "I couldn't even hide the bodies properly. Now it's going to be all over the news…"

I began to take off my shirt so I could ring it out a bit better, leaving my black jeans for last, but was interrupted when I realized I wasn't alone. "You don't sound very happy."

"Who's there?" I asked, looking around. There, sitting on the stairs leading up to the streets above, was a teenaged boy.

His appearance startled me a little. Snow-white hair blew gently in the light breeze, reaching only just past the ears, and his skin was a milky sort of pale, the kind of pale that was still healthy, but extremely rare. I wanted to touch it, to see how smooth it was. Two sky gray eyes stared at me curiously, and something in my stomach shifted oddly. I had never seen eyes that beautiful.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you. It's just, I saw you jump into the river. I thought maybe you might need help," his cheeks turned a little red here, "but then you came back up, so I just thought I'd wait here and see if you were okay."

I cursed my mistake in my head. Of course he would think I had been trying to commit suicide. After all, a person jumping off a bridge in order to get into the river wasn't necessarily normal. Not unless you were trying to kill yourself or trying a dangerous stunt, especially in water this shallow. "Hehe, sorry to worry you. I'm a bit of a dare devil."

I scratched the back of my head, smiling. Would the kid buy it?

"You're weird." I froze, looking at the boy in surprise and worry. Was he thick in the head? Or just way too relaxed? My smile twitched.

"Hehe…" I laughed, dropping my arm, suddenly awkward. What the hell was I supposed to say?

"Are you from here?" The boy asked, cocking his head to the side. His mysterious gray eyes, which were so different from how innocent he acted, met my eyes full on. For a moment, it felt like everything froze.

Who is this kid?

"No." I said, realizing for the first time that we were speaking in English, not Japanese. "You don't seem to be, either."

"No. I'm from England." The boy said. "I live in America, though, so I don't have an accent. I've lived there since I was three."

"British, huh?" I asked, sitting down despite the fact that I was wet. The boy looked a little surprised.

"Why don't you come sit here?" he asked, indicating that I should sit next to him by patting the bare area beside him.

"I would, but I just sat down." I sighed, slumping a little. "I'm too lazy to get up again."

The boy laughed, the sound ringing in my ears. I stared at him in surprise, and I could feel my mouth beginning to open, but I couldn't will myself to keep it closed. "You're funny, too."

"Why do you keep pointing these things out?" I asked, beginning to get curious. This was the first time a human had made me so intrigued.

"Because, I'm a little surprised. When I saw you…" The boy stopped, his smile fading, replaced by a blush. He looked away from me.

"What?" I asked, not liking how he had cut off. I wanted to hear the answer.

"Well, you seem a little…perfect." The boy didn't speak above a mumble, but I still understood him. "It was reassuring that you had human traits."

_It's not so reassuring that _you_ don't._ I thought, but I said nothing.

"People like you are always so perfect and serious, and they never have anything wrong with them. They don't have faults or say weird things or do weird things. They're always perfect," the boy explained quietly. His tone was completely different from before, sad and hesitant.

"You think so?" I asked, letting out a long sigh. Making it seem like it was a huge nuisance and burden, I lifted myself up slowly, grunting as I did so. I dragged my feet, and for an extra effect I slouched, all the way to the stairs. Before the boy could express the surprise that was clearly written on his face, I placed a finger to my lips, telling him to keep quiet.

I exaggerated my movements as I went up the stairs to where he was, and sat down next to him, a bit of water spraying him as I did so. He didn't complain, though. It didn't really seem like he had even noticed. I wasn't sure if maybe I was a little upset that he was just like every one else in thinking that I was beautiful.

"No one is perfect." I said. "Everyone has faults, personality problems, life problems, stress. That's just the way life is. Maybe a person can come across as perfect, but on the inside they're probably suffering. Any body who seems that perfect is actually crying on the inside. Everybody should be able to show their faults, and not be afraid of who they are, or else they will suffer more than anyone else. Denying who you are is probably the worst crime there is to yourself."

The boy stared at me in awe, and from the corner of my eye I saw a single, pale hand begin to lift itself. His hands were beautiful, fit for the piano. I watched the hand rise, never looking away from his face, and I did not stop him as he touched my face.

He was like a curious baby, but his eyes said so many different things. They were almost cold, staring at me curiously yet still narrowed, showing things that I had never experienced. This boy had gone through more than what he acted like. What had happened in his past that would give him those eyes?

His hand touched my face, and it was like an electric current ran through my whole body. It was almost like sinking my teeth into flesh, but it was ten times intensified.

And then his scent hit me. How had I been so oblivious before? How had I not noticed it? Was it because the river had completely clogged my nose when I had jumped into it? It seemed like the only explanation, because there was no way I could have _not _noticed this scent.

It was beautiful. The scent of a lotus and of cherry blossoms, mixed with the smell of leaves and some unnamed spice. It was like standing next to a pond in a garden, surrounded by exotic plants and trees.

It was the most amazing scent I had ever smelt.

If I hadn't of just fed, I wasn't sure I would have been able to control myself at that moment, snatching his hand away. It was warm in my own hand, and I could tell from the surprise on his face that I was unexpectedly cold. Hopefully he would just think it was from the river.

"I-is something wrong?" He stuttered, suddenly worried. I stood up abruptly, letting go of his hand. I tried to think of an excuse, my breath coming in little pants as something like anxiety rushed through me.

"You're…" I breathed, quickly slapping on a strained smile. "Gay?"

"Wh-what?!" The boy was suddenly defensive, standing up, his face flushed with anger and embarrassment. "Why would you say such a thing?"

"Why do you talk like a pansy?" I replied easily, though I could still feel my chest clenching and my stomach doing flips. His scent was completely taking over my senses, and it was almost as if I could taste it as I stared at the now angry boy.

"I was raised to talk like this, you…you…" He seemed to have trouble as he tried to swear, and I laughed, though it was a little breathless. He didn't seem to notice.

"See, you can't even say a swear word. You're totally gay. You're acting like a total girl." I pointed out, smirking.

"Shut up! I can too swear!" The boy snapped, though I could tell from his face that he didn't want to. "F-fuck…" as soon as he said it, he suddenly looked around, fear crossing his features. This confused me a little. When it appeared he had decided the coast was clear, he relaxed.

"What's this? Don't want anyone to hear you swearing? You think it'll make you impure or something?" I asked, my smirk growing into a sly smile. His blush got a little deeper.

"No!" he snapped. "It's just…" he bit his lip, looking down, but then looked at me again. "I shouldn't have to explain myself to you! Idiot!"

_Yes, that's good…get frustrated with me…leave…save yourself…_ "And what's with touching my face? If I'd have let you get any further, who knows what would've ended up happening to me?" I exaggerated by dragging my face down and giving a worried look, and I could tell he saw that I was just bugging him.

"You're the one who let me!" He snapped, getting angrier. He was funny when he was angry, and cute. I'm not so sure this was the effect he was going for, though.

"What are you talking about? I don't like guys that way." I turned my head away, waving my hand absently, sticking my lips out like a fish. The boy let out a heavy huff.

"You stupid, annoying, beautiful angel, you!" He yelled out in a whoosh of breath. I froze, then turned to him, my eyes wide.

"What…did you just say?" I whispered. He covered his mouth, realizing what he had said, and back away. Apparently, this kid was a bit of a klutz, because I'm not so sure a normal person would have let their foot land half way off the stair. I watched as he began to fall over, the shock of there not being ground under his foot showing clearly on his face as his hand flew away from his mouth, sticking out in an attempt to balance himself.

I grabbed the arm that had flailed out, pulling him back into a straight position, allowing him to get his bearings. His already red face only got worse, until he looked like a tomato, and it wasn't until I felt the small tug of his arm that I realized I hadn't let go of him yet. Quickly, I released my grip, bringing my hand to my side again, curling it into a fist.

"Klutz." I said, sticking out my tongue. Some of the flush went away, but his cheeks remained bright red, purely from anger.

"Shut up! You didn't have to help me, you know! I would've been fine!" He snapped.

"Yeah, after a couple of months in the hospital, or maybe somewhere up in heaven." I replied sarcastically, rolling my eyes. The boy's teeth snapped together and he crossed his arms defiantly.

"You're an asshole." He muttered. I frowned, feeling both relieved and upset that he had said that. I wasn't so sure why I felt either.

"Then leave." I sighed. "Why are you even talking to me, anyways? You obviously don't want to, and to be honest, I don't really want to talk to you, either."

What a lie.

"Fine!" The boy snapped, though I could see plainly that I had hurt him. I was a little surprised, though, that it was quickly covered up. In seconds, standing before me was an emotionless boy, his eyes glaring hard into my own. His voice was completely calm when he spoke again, and I could feel a chill run up my spine. What had happened to that boy? "You shouldn't treat people like that in the future. You'll end up alone."

I'll end up alone anyways, no matter what I do. Why do you think I want you to leave?

"Yeah, I'll remember that." I whispered, watching as he turned away. Something pulled in my stomach, and I wanted him to turn back around. I wanted this boy, so different, so amazingly beautiful both in looks and in his scent, to turn back to me, to face me. I didn't want him to leave me, like so many others had.

I didn't want to be alone again.

_But if you stay with me, you'll die. Whether by murder or by age, you'll die._

"Lavi!" The voice made me freeze, and the boy in front of me stopped. He turned abruptly, for once a human faster at reacting than me. His eyes fell on the person behind me, who could be none other than Yuu.

But why did I smell that girl's blood, too?

The boy's eyes widened, shock and fear mingling together, almost like the woman I had taken the life out of only an hour ago. Yet, somehow, this look being on his face made me want to tear apart whatever was causing it. It also gave me a very bad feeling.

I turned, my eyes locking on Yuu immediately. The sight before me caused a tight knot to form in my throat.

Yuu stood with the girl in his arms, her ragged breathing barely reaching my ears, hanging limply. Blood covered her everywhere, and Yuu himself had received some damage. The girl's hair, once so long, was now oddly chopped in many places, the shortest around the length of half of my finger.

"Yuu…" I whispered. "What the hell happened?"

"I'll explain later! You have to help me!" Yuu yelled, his eyes wide, his voice frantic. It was the first time I had seen Yuu like this.

"Why the hell is this night so fucked up?" I whispered, running a hand over my face.

"Lavi! If you don't fucking help me I swear to god I will kill that human behind you!" Yuu yelled, his voice nearly reaching a scream.

"La…vi…?" His voice made my back tense. He wasn't calling me, he was just saying my name, maybe testing it out, maybe making sure this was real, I'm not sure. I turned to him, staring into his gray eyes, which were wide with fear. He looked down at me, and I wondered if he really saw me. "Lavi….name…angel…Lavi…"

He wasn't making any sense. He seemed to be in shock, though I wasn't too surprised. I wondered just how gruesome the scene before him really was to him. Maybe it was because I had become used to such gruesome scenes that this one didn't seem so bad (she was alive, wasn't she?), but to this boy, it would probably scar him for life.

"Sleep now." I whispered, letting my grief show on my face as I reached out. The boy did nothing as I found the proper spots to put pressure on, watching as he immediately fainted. I caught him in my arms, Yuu's impatient stream of curses beginning to make me angry. I placed the boy on the steps, praying that he would think it had all been a dream when he woke up.

"Lavi!" Yuu snapped, and I stepped away from the boy. He was cute when he slept, too.

"I'm coming, Yuu. Shut up." I whispered, and turned my back on the boy. Hopefully he wouldn't be dead on the morning news, mugged then stabbed, or maybe raped by some sick sadistic bastard…

"Pay attention to where you're running!" Yuu said suddenly, and I blinked. When had we started running? "Who the hell was that kid, anyways?"

Yes, who was he? Why was I so worried about him? Why was it that I felt like I had just done the stupidest thing ever by leaving him behind?

"Are you really the one to be asking questions right now?" I replied calmly, taking the lead. Yuu scoffed, speeding up as well.

In a matter of minutes we were at the house, Tykki and Rhode already there. It was clear from their expressions that they had not been expecting us to show up the way we did. They stood up immediately when we burst into the living room, Lero leaping off the couch and crawling under it instead. Even for a six hundred year old cat that could talk, he still acted like a normal one.

Yuu placed the girl on the couch in a rush, then stepped away from her. I could tell from his extended fangs that it had taken all of his willpower not to kill her.

"What the hell happened here?" Tykki demanded, going to the girl's side.

Sadistic hunter, history book reader, short tempered, and also a doctor. I wondered how Tykki was able to have so many traits.

"That bastard that just entered the band came and tried to take her from me. We got into a fight, but he was able to get me trapped under a boulder. He did this to her before I could get out and smash him to pieces." Yuu spat, looking extremely pissed.

"_Why_ are you such a brute?" Rhode sighed, rolling her eyes as she went to Tykki's side. Neither of them showed signs of wanting to drink her blood. Apparently, they had had their fill.

"Keh, shut up, Rhode." Yuu snapped.

"Yessir." Rhode muttered, leaning over. Tykki pulled the hoodie that Yuu must have been wearing off of her, since it was the only piece of clothing not shredded to bits, and I think I saw a few pieces of rubble on it. Most likely from when he shattered the boulder. He really was a brute.

"Ouch…" Tykki muttered, and I saw what he meant. Apparently, Yuu had gotten there just in time. Her skin around her heart was completely gone, a few of the ribs cracked, and the heart nearly viewable. It was amazing that the girl was even alive. Her neck had scratches all along it, though pretty shallow, except for where her vocal box was. Gouges along her arms and legs showed that this guy was _not_ a merciful hunter.

Of course, I couldn't really say anything. Tearing your victim's head off wasn't exactly pleasant. People like Rhode and Tykki, who didn't really like playing with prey, simply sunk their teeth into a person's neck where their vital veins were, like in the movies. It actually was a _very_ pleasurable experience for humans, something I had planned on using on the girl who was now laying half dead on the couch, but sometimes vampires didn't like doing that.

The number one thing a vampire liked to eat was the heart. Something about it drew a vampire's thirst, and even if we did allow a pleasurable experience, unless we had drained every last drop through that experience, we often liked to take the heart out and eat it as well. For people like me, that was the first thing on the menu.

"She's going to die in a few minutes." Tykki said, so plainly that you had to wonder whether he really cared about life or not.

"Can't you…help her?" Yuu asked, hesitant. Tykki turned to him, frowning, almost bored.

"Not really. I mean, I'd have to _want_ to if I did." He shrugged, looking back at the girl. Though the statement was vague, and what he had meant was barely understandable, everyone knew exactly what he meant.

"Is it really the only way?" I asked, knowing that Yuu would be unable to. Even for a girl who had caught his interest, which had never happened before, he was still full of pride.

"Well, not even the technology they have these days for helping people can help her. We could always drop her at a hospital and let her die with morphine or something in her system, but they won't be able to save her. I've actually got some morphine, I can give it to her if you want." Everyone looked at him oddly, and he shrugged. "You never know when you might need it. Besides, when a vampire takes it, it's got some really cool effects."

"We don't really want to know about your weird experiments right now…" Rhode muttered, obviously disgusted.

"Yuu." I looked at my friend, who stared at the girl, his eyes narrowed as he battled with himself. "Do it."

"Lavi?" Rhode looked at me curiously.

"You're the only one who can." I continued. "Besides, you know what this means, don't you? Once she's changed…most likely…"

A silent understanding came across us all. For vampires, this was the one thing that no one could interrupt, and the one thing that all of a coven should help with if they could. Rhode and Tykki looked at Yuu expectantly.

"Kanda, if Lavi's right…" Tykki muttered, and I could tell from the way his eyes narrowed that he was making calculations.

"You should do it, Kanda. Something like this…it only happens once." Rhode was quiet, and if I was right, there was a hint of envy in her voice.

"Yuu, we'll be waiting outside. When you make your choice…" I left the rest unsaid, and turned away.

I didn't want to let it show, how lonely I could already feel myself becoming.

If I was right, then Yuu would be taken. My best friend would be gone, given away to a girl who had only coincidentally appeared. I would have no one left. Rhode and Tykki had each other, and Lero wasn't exactly somebody I could call a companion.

Soon, Yuu would have his soul mate, and I would be left in this world alone, to live for eternity, because in this world, no matter when they should be born, there would never be anybody for me.

That was my fate, and for the longest time, I had thought that it would be Yuu's fate, too. I guess I had just been selfish.

* * *

A/N: Aw man, I kept on writing Kanda's name as Kanda even though he's supposed to be Yuu for Lavi. That was _hard_. If there are any Kanda's besides other people saying it, then I'm sorry. I might've missed it…

This chapter was a little different to my normal writing. I'm not used to things like horror, so if it seems a little off, please tell me? This story has absolutely _nothing_ to do with Twilight, and seriously, Twilight can sucks my nonexistent balls. I have nothing against it or anything, it's just, every story and every thought about _vampire_ immediately invokes Twilight. What happened to _other_ vampires? Vampires are _awesome_, yet everybody only thinks of Twilight now. I miss my vampires…Now I'm sad…

Well, review and let me know what you think. I was as original as I could be. Ni!

*Small note-I edited my mistake on allowed and aloud. Please, if you notice that, point it out to me and give me the sentence it's in so I can find it...that took me forever...((It'll probably hppen in future chapters. I have a small problem with those two words....))


	2. Chance

Disclaimer: I don't own D. Gray-Man

_Chapter 2: Chance_

"When she wakes up…"

"I know. You don't need to say it." Yuu muttered, his voice muffled behind his hands. He pulled his face away from his hands to look at me, his coal eyes showing the questions that he didn't want to ask. Maybe it was because he had lived for over seven hundred years, but Yuu had changed. When I had first met him, he had been someone nobody could reach, nobody could touch.

Now he looked so vulnerable.

"Everything will work out fine." I reassured. "Her injuries are already beginning to disappear. If things keep going the way they are, she'll turn out perfectly. You can feel it, can't you? Your bond intensifying."

"Why her, though?" Yuu whispered, once again covering his face. He was acting like a stressed human.

"No one has a choice of who their other half is." I muttered.

"I don't even know her _name_, Lavi. She's only been hanging around the place for the past couple of weeks, and we've never even _spoken_, and yet here I am praying she doesn't die, because it feels like I'm going to die with her! The only reason I know anything about her was because I overheard her conversation with some girl she was with." Yuu snapped, his voice getting more and more frustrated with every word. "I don't know what to _do_ anymore."

I stared at Yuu, vulnerable and shaking, curled up on the steps leading into the house. I was the only one who would ever see him like this, I knew. Anyone else, and he would continue being the selfish asshole he usually was, but with me it was different. I suppose over six centuries of traveling together could do that.

"Well, everything will be fine once she's one of us, won't it?" I asked rhetorically. "I'm sure she'll help you figure it all out. After all, if she's meant for you, she _has_ to be smart."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean, you stupid rabbit?" Yuu snapped, pulling his hands away from his face to hit me. I laughed, evading, landing on top of the roof. "Oi, get back here!"

"If you want to hurt me that badly, then come after me." I called back, smirking down at him. A growl erupted from his lips as he perched, but just as he was about to pounce he stopped. Hesitation crossed his features, and then his body relaxed, so that he was sitting again. I frowned. "Well, that wasn't fun."

"Shut up." Yuu muttered. It was half-assed, weak. I sighed, falling on my butt and sticking one leg out, keeping the other one up for an arm rest, keeping one arm on the ground to keep from falling completely back. I looked up at the night sky, the half moon lighting up the sky and illuminating the stars.

"We have to leave here." I said.

"I know."

"Are you prepared?" I asked, looking back down. Yuu was now sitting properly on the stairs again, staring up at the sky too.

"Tch. Why should I care? It's just another country. Besides, to keep her safe, we have to leave…" I winced. It would be odd, and difficult to get used to, to have him actually caring about someone. What was I supposed to do now?

"Where should we go next, you think? Where do you think will have changed the most in five years?" I asked, looking back up at the sky.

"I don't know. What about England?" Yuu asked, and my stomach squeezed.

"…_I'm from England. I live in America, though, so I don't have an accent. I've lived there since I was three."_

I let out a small laugh, pulling out my arm from under me and letting myself fall, my head hitting the roof smartly. There would most likely be rubble in my hair when I had a shower.

"Yeah, sure. Let's go to England." I whispered.

"England? Great!" I jumped, looking to the side. Rhode was just landing on the roof, most likely having jumped up from the back yard. "I love that place! Their accent is so awesome. America and Canada don't have that kind of English."

"Well, it's good to know you want to go." I muttered, though I didn't really care. Whether Tykki and Rhode wanted to go somewhere or not never really mattered to Yuu and I, though I doubted they would ever complain, so long as it was never Venice.

"When are we leaving?" Tykki asked, appearing behind Rhode. I frowned. Who did they think they were, interrupting our conversation? Now Yuu was going to get all cold again.

"Whenever she's ready." I raised a hand and pointed down, where I knew the girl was currently squirming in pain and still unconscious.

"That'll take another couple of hours at least…it gives us enough time to pack and get the tickets and everything." Tykki muttered, mostly to himself. "I'll get on that now."

Tykki jumped down from the roof, and Rhode gave me one last look before following after him. When they were gone, I sat up again and crawled to the edge of the roof, looking down to where Yuu was.

"Are you ready to leave?" I asked.

"Only if she is." He gestured behind him sluggishly before returning to his curled up position.

"Doing nothing's just going to make you more nervous about it. You should help with the packing." I suggested, pulling myself off. With a few swipes of my hand, the dirt and rubble that had gathered on my clothes disappeared.

"You make it sound like you're not going to." Yuu observed, sitting up again to look up at me. I grinned.

"That's because I'm not. I'm going out for a bit. We've been sitting around here for a whole day waiting for her to wake up—I want to go out." I winked, jumping down from the roof and landing gently on the sidewalk beyond. "I'll do some research for you and break the news to your band while I'm at it."

"Tch." Was all Yuu said, and I listened as he stood and went into the house before taking off.

My destination was a little foolish, maybe even a little predictable, but I couldn't help it. All day I had been thinking about it, and when Yuu and I had been talking a few minutes ago I had once again become curious. No matter what way I looked at it, I needed to see that boy again, to satisfy the curiosity that was building up in me every time I thought of him.

I at least wanted to know his name.

I would arrive there at the exact same time I had arrived last night. If irony had anything to do with it, then he would most likely be there again. Maybe he, too, was waiting for me to come back.

Never before had I felt full of myself thinking this, since it was always true. No human had ever not appeared in the same place they had met me at the same time, as if they were still silently waiting for me. I had even found some of them there two weeks later, staring out into the distance, looking almost…dead. I never went back to any of them.

This time, though, I couldn't help but feel a little silly. Maybe it was just the boy, maybe it was because he had probably been so scarred that it was doubtful he would _ever_ want to go back there, maybe because of the odd feelings that churned in my chest when I thought of him. Whatever the reason, I didn't feel so confident of myself this time.

I stepped down the first step of the stairs that led down to the river. The bridge I had jumped from last night was silent, no one walking along it or driving along it. The only noise was the distant cars, the crickets, the flow of water, and the sound of the wind blowing through the grass, something only my sensitive ears could pick up.

However, there was no sight of the boy.

I felt like something was tugging at my chest, making it hurt. Why had I been so hopeful? Why did I want to see him again? What was the point?

With a sigh, I walked down half the steps and came to an abrupt stop, plopping myself down. I rested my elbows on my knees and folded my hands together, watching the river flow.

In a way, I was sort of like that river. Always changing, but never dying. Watching as the things around me changed, the people around me grow older and be replaced by their children, yet never able to have a family of my own, to die of old age, to live a natural and happy life with everyone around me.

Immortality sucked.

"You're here." the surprised voice shocked me, in more ways than one. It was like an electric jolt went through my body.

I turned abruptly, looking up the steps, where the white haired boy stood, staring down at me. His expression was completely calm, not a hint of the fear he had been showing last night anywhere on his features.

I couldn't help myself; I grinned.

"Hey, twerp." I said. The boy's cheeks reddened, and he stubbornly turned away, about to leave. Surprised, I stood up, running up the steps. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, suddenly appearing by his side with a speed he probably didn't think existed, but I didn't want him to turn his back on me. "Don't go, I was only joking."

He jumped, obviously not expecting me to be right beside him, and turned. His gray eyes were wide with fear when he looked at me, and I suddenly felt guilty. "How did you…?"

"Sorry." I whispered.

"You're not…?" I could guess the rest of what he wanted to say, but he didn't finish, instead brushing my hand off his shoulder and turning to face me fully. "Why don't you want me to go?"

"Well it's not exactly like I intended to push you away from your spot. That's kind of rude. I might be cruel, but I hate being rude." I smirked, and the boy frowned.

"For some reason I highly doubt every word you just said to me." He stated bluntly. I winced.

"That's not very nice. You don't even know me and you're already doubting me. Do you even know my name?" I asked, crossing my arms stubbornly.

"Lavi." I think he tried to say it stubbornly, but his voice faded, and a brief flash of the fear I had seen mingled on his face last night reappeared.

I was silent, both surprised and worried. He had remembered my name, but what would that entail?

"Your name is Lavi." The boy whispered, and looked away from me. "I heard…that guy saying your name."

"Are you okay?" I asked, feeling my hand as it began to rise. I stopped midway, unsure of what my touch would do to him this time, now that I didn't have being soaking wet as an excuse for being so cold.

"I'm fine," the boy said, quickly slapping on a smile and looking at me. "Well, I only came here to see…well, to be honest, to see if you were here, to say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" I asked, frowning.

"Yes. I wasn't so sure you would end up being here, but I took my chances. Anyways, I have to leave tonight. We're leaving early, because my…someone died, and we can't stay here anymore. I have to get going, though. I have a lot to do and only a little time to do it. Most likely I'll never be coming to Japan again, since this was just a business trip. So…goodbye."

He stuck his hand out like a professional, and I stared down at it, grimacing. "You came looking for me just to say that? This late at night?" I whispered.

"Well…this was the same time you appeared last night, isn't it?" the boy whispered, his hand closing and swinging nervously by his side. "I thought you might want to try and jump off the bridge or something again…and, well…it wouldn't do for you to get hurt…and I thought maybe if I didn't see you again…I could be sure last night was a dream…"

My throat clenched. _I shouldn't have come._

"About last night…" I began, but he shook his head.

"It's not…it's not the first time I've seen it. Seen that kind of scene." He whispered, giving me a weak, unconvincing smile. "Well, Lavi, be safe. Wherever you go next, don't jump into too shallow of a river."

I chuckled softly, sticking my hands in my pockets. "You're an interesting kid," I stated, and he looked a little surprised before giving me a cocky smile.

"Well, I have an interesting life." He said, confidently and in an almost amused manner. He turned, walking off slowly, sticking his hands in his pockets. As he walked, I heard a soft tune being whistled, one I had never heard before.

I watched him go, ignoring the part of me that said to follow the boy.

It had been hard enough ignoring that scent just for that brief conversation. If I were to actually follow after him, most likely the boy wouldn't be making it back to his hotel. This one time, I wouldn't let my instincts kick in, not with this boy. It would be better if I never saw him again.

After all, he lived in America. If we were to stay in England for the next five to ten years, if I ever saw the boy again, he would probably have no memory of me at all.

When his scent was completely washed away by the wind and the haunting tune no longer reached my ears, I crouched. I had somewhere else I needed to visit before we left Japan.

* * *

"Why are you so pissed?" Yuu asked as soon as he saw me. I glared at him, stepping by him and into the house.

I felt frustrated with myself. I hadn't even gotten his _name_. That had been my original purpose, was get his name. Yet, as soon as I reached my second destination, what was the first thing I remembered?

_I didn't know his name_.

I had that whole conversation to ask him, I could have called it out to him as he was walking away, I could have followed after him and waited until someone said it, but no. Instead, when I had finished my business and gone looking for him, I couldn't find him _anywhere_. His scent had led to a hotel, and lord knows how hard it is to find someone in a place with so many different scents mingling together.

"Lavi, what the hell happened?" Yuu's voice broke through my angry train of thought, and I looked over at the angry feminine man.

"I went to go and see your band. I told them you're leaving. That guy, the vampire, wasn't there." I said stiffly, turning away from him again and going into the living room. I stopped in the doorway, staring at the couch; or rather, the person on the couch, her eyes now open.

"Lenalee, this is Lavi. Lavi, Lenalee." Yuu muttered, stopping next to me. I looked at him, so many questions suddenly rushing through me.

"Lavi's your name, huh?" The girl's soft voice asked. It was a lot more delicate than it had been at the concert. It was quieter, more subdued.

"Yeah, I guess we never got a chance to introduce each other. Guess you really did get the night of your life, too." I commented, smiling.

"Well, it's good to know that you really were a part of the band." Lenalee whispered, and then glanced down at herself. "This really is curious…"

"What is?"

"Being…immortal. It's very different." She looked up at me, and then her eyes strayed to the side. I could tell her eyes met with Yuu's at that moment. "It's very electrical."

"Now, that's only because it's Yuu. Trust me, _electrical_isn't a word to describe us." I smiled, using a light tone. Lenalee looked over at me, and smiled.

"Maybe you will tell me why…?" she whispered, leaving the rest unfinished. I glanced at Yuu, but he just shook his head.

"Well, you're pretty calm for a new born. Looks like we wont have to train you." I commented lightly, looking back at the young girl, but the sudden growl that emitted from Yuu's throat made me frown.

"She's already fed." He whispered. "Rhode brought someone for her."

Why did my heart suddenly clench? Why was I suddenly afraid?

"Who?" I demanded. "Did you know who it was?"

Yuu looked at me, a very serious look taking over his features as he peered at me, searching my eyes for answers to questions that were probably running through his head a mile a second at the moment. He remained silent, and I could almost hear the gears in his head working away. Finally, he opened his mouth. "A young girl, somewhere around her age. Rhode found her walking around this area and brought her here."

Relief flooded through me, and I was quick to put on an indifferent expression. "Why was she wandering around this area?"

"Rhode guesses she was looking for me." Yuu replied, looking away from me and instead locking gazes with the oddly dazed youngling. "She seemed eager enough to follow Rhode, anyways. Apparently she said something like 'I know I've seen you around him before', or something along those lines."

"Oh ho, Yuu's got stalkers." I teased, grinning and leaning my arm on his shoulder. "Welcome to my world, buddy."

"Yeah, you actually _like_people stalking you." Yuu snapped, shoving my arm off before turning and walking away. I looked at Lenalee, confused, before going after him.

I followed him outside, where he sat down on the front step, staring up at the night sky.

The sky that only changed every so often, and was just as immortal as we were.

"Did you drug her or something?" I muttered, sitting next to him. "She seems sort of out of it."

"Is it even possible to drug a vampire?" Yuu replied, his eyes leaving the stars as he once again cradled his head, like he had only a few hours ago. "Tykki figures that the girl she drank the blood from was high on heroine or something. She was American, so it's not like it's weird that heroine would be involved, but most likely it affected Lenalee, who still has some human left in her."

It takes more than just a couple of nights to fully become a vampire. For about a month, we continued to have our own human blood running through our system, until it became completely vampiric and the only human blood that would run through it would be the blood of our victims.

Vampires had their own type of blood. It was darker, thicker, and much, much harder to extract. Basically, it was our old human blood, frozen in our veins, never to move again, turning, in a way, stale. The only time it was refreshed was when we drank blood, when it would briefly flow again, briefly run through our veins again. It kept us from drying into prunes.

That was why a vampire needed blood to survive.

I wasn't really sure if we actually dried into prunes, but I knew that if we let all of our original blood disappear then we would most likely die.

This didn't mean if someone were to cut us open once a day we would die from losing all of our original blood. Every time we drink blood, some of it gets added to our original blood, where it becomes part of it. Every time we drink blood, our original blood, or OB as I liked to call it, grew in amount. That made it impossible to run out.

Which is why it's possible to make as many newborns as a vampire wants.

"Did Tykki get the tickets?" I asked.

"We're leaving at six." Yuu replied.

"You mean the plane's leaving at six, or we have to start heading for the plane at six?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"We're leaving here at six. The plane leaves at six thirty. Rhode's already made preparations for our stuff, and Tykki's just left to go and get our bank account figured out." Yuu muttered, and lifted his head from his little nest. "Who did you go see?"

I tensed, the light expression I had been carrying immediately falling away.

"No one." I said stiffly.

"You saw that kid again, didn't you?" Yuu asked, ignoring my answer. "That boy that you were talking to when I found you that night."

I changed the subject, slapping on a grin and nudging him on the arm. "How'd you find me, anyways?"

"Don't change the subject, Lavi." Yuu snapped, obviously not amused. I winced.

"It shouldn't matter to you who I go see and who I don't." I muttered. "You're not my mother."

"You've never done this before. Why did you go see him again? Was the bean sprout really that interesting to you?" Yuu snapped, obviously taking this a lot more seriously than he should have been. So what if I was letting a human live and having normal conversations with him? I was allowed to at least have something of a normal, human life, wasn't I?

"Why are you calling him bean sprout?" I asked, feeling offended for the boy.

"Because he was a short little shit, that's why!" Yuu snapped, then paused. He sighed. "Look, Lavi, seeing that kid again wasn't the best idea. We pretty much screwed ourselves over in front of him. He probably thought we were murderers or gang members or something. Plus, you knocked him out. Even a human can get suspicious after a scene like that."

"You underestimate humans too much, you know." I interrupted with a sigh.

"Shut up, Lavi." Yuu snapped. "You showing up probably only made him more suspicious. What kind of person would end up showing up in the same spot after just being seen with a girl half dead and knocking out the person who saw? And I don't even know what you did when you ended up talking to him tonight. For all I know, you could have pretty much just said flat out 'I'm a vampire'."

"Well, I didn't go that far…" I muttered, rubbing a hand over my face. "Look, Yuu. Everything's fine. The kid doesn't suspect anything. He came tonight so he could say goodbye to me. He said he's seen that kind of scene before and didn't say anything else."

"Tch. You're too careless, stupid rabbit." Yuu stood up, about to walk back into the house, but stopped. The angry expression he had been wearing suddenly faded away. "Lavi…"

"What?" I asked, leaning back so I could look up at him.

"I can't go anywhere near her right now." Yuu looked down at me, his nose suddenly scrunching up. "The way she's acting, the way she's so… _blank_, I can't be near her. It scares me."

"So that's why you were lecturing me," I sighed. "You were trying to make yourself feel better, huh?"

"Shut up." Yuu whispered, only half heartily.

"Look, by the time we get to London she should be fine. You know how all newborns sleep for the first day and a half after they've fed. When she wakes up again, she probably won't remember a thing about tonight, especially if there's heroine in her veins. Then, we can do this all over again, but she'll be acting a _whole_ lot more human. Trust me."

"You make it sound like you've raised a newborn before." Yuu muttered.

"No, I've just done plenty of research on them. What else am I supposed to do, living for all eternity? I've got to have some sort of pass time." I replied, smirking. "Look, just go in there. If she's not asleep already, help her go to sleep. Put her in your lap, sing to her, stroke her hair. _Comfort_ her, and lull her into sleep. We still have another four hours until we have to leave."

"Tch. You think I'm going to lull someone to sleep?" Yuu asked, incredulous. I grinned.

"Well, sure, if it's your mate." I said airily, standing up. "Well, I'll see you in a few. Put her to sleep, or else we're going to have a hard time with her on the plane. That should give you enough incentive to put away your pride for a little while; just think about the huge crash having her awake would cause."

* * *

Rhode had been in here again.

I could smell her everywhere. Nothing had been moved, but she must have been rummaging through my things, because there was no way it would smell so much like her otherwise.

I had to admit, Rhode was pretty good at putting absolutely everything back into place, though.

I sighed and threw my jacket onto my bed, dragging my feet to the bed that was unnecessary and throwing myself down onto it. Vampire or not, a bed was comfy, and considering how pissed off I was, it was pretty relaxing too.

I still couldn't get over the fact that I had forgotten to ask his name. He had been right there, the whole purpose of my appearing there again to ask one little question, and I had completely forgotten it. How was it that he could get off knowing _my_ name, but not introduce himself?

I sat up, sighing. It would be bad to just sit here and sulk, and I needed to pack my things. That was a rule of ours; everyone packs their own things. It wasn't really because of privacy, but more because it just took less time to get it all done at once. Plus, it saved a lot of grumbling from the person who ended up having to do it all.

Sometimes I wondered if maybe we were more like a pack of children, rather than centuries old living as a coven. We definitely acted immature enough.

I was slow in sorting through my things, leaving the things I knew I didn't want anymore and throwing everything else on the bed. I didn't feel like being any faster than human pace at the moment; we still had a few hours, and I knew that Yuu wouldn't want anyone downstairs at the moment, what with the circumstances.

I stopped when I came across the inside of the middle top drawer of my dresser.

My fingers traced over everything lightly, barely grazing the items that sat there, so innocent yet so full of sin.

I closed my eyes gently, letting a small smile relieve my features, and closed the drawer.

Why did I have the strength now, to leave those items behind?

The answer was I didn't.

I knew that I would come back, I knew I would grab them right before we left. I knew I would end up refusing to let them go anywhere but my lap on the plane, just like every other time.

They were too precious to lose, but at the same time I wanted nothing more than to lose them, shatter them, break them.

I was pitiful.

I turned away from the dresser, closing my eyes before I went back to my bed, opening my eyes to stare blankly at the items sprawled across it. My suitcase was under the bed. All I would have to do was bend down to grab it, but for some reason that little action suddenly seemed like it would be the most difficult task in the world.

Why? It wasn't like I liked Japan. Actually, it kind of annoyed me. It was stinky, polluted, and over populated. Their culture was too formal for me, and finding a decent high school girl to seduce was actually kind of difficult. The only reason I put up with it was for Yuu. Way back in the day, it was peaceful and easy. Now it was just a pain.

But it was bugging me so_ much,_ not knowing that kid's name.

I wanted to go back there and wait for him_. Me_, wait for some human boy. But at the same time I knew that he wouldn't come back. All the same, I still wanted to go back.

Was this what it felt like to all those people who had been sitting there waiting for me?

With a heavy sigh, I knelt down. Reaching under my bed, I felt around until I grasped the large square item with cloth lining.

Pulling the suitcase out, I placed it on the bed and stared at it blankly.

I refused to listen to the part of me that cried to go back there. No matter how much I itched to.

Almost ignorantly, I began to shove my clothes into the suitcase, grumbling to myself about little boys who were way too young for me and the influence they had when they had such bright and innocent eyes. If anyone were to walk in on me right now, they'd probably start laughing. Although at the moment I didn't really care.

My fingers froze over one of my t-shirts, and I stared with deep concentration at the bed.

Were vampires supposed to feel like this? So human? Was it normal for something that wasn't really alive to feel like this?

The answer was no, I knew. Why would it? Yet I still allowed myself to freely act like a normal human being. I felt like I had no real right to. Like I was shaming the human race by acting like them. I didn't deserve to feel happy or annoyed or sad or angry. I was dead, and those people who were out there living every day weren't. Yet somehow I found myself acting as if I was one of them.

But I am an outsider. I am an undead. I am immortal.

My fist closed around the shirt, and I dropped it into my suitcase, frowning as I finished packing what little I wished to keep.

* * *

"Everyone ready?" Rhode asked, standing in the middle of the living room. Yuu sat on the couch, a now sleeping Lenalee nestled into his arms. Tykki was reading on one of the armchairs, one of the encyclopedias he had bought the other day open in front of him. Surprisingly, he had bought the Japanese version instead of finding the English version.

"Are we taking a taxi?" He asked over his book, not bothering to look away from it.

"Why would we take a taxi?" Rhode asked, obviously confused.

"Sleeping newborn." Tykki muttered as a reply.

"Kanda can carry her on his back." Rhode chirped.

"It would save time," I said in a matter of fact tone, sitting cross legged on the floor. "It just depends on if our cuddly little Yuu is up to it."

"Shut it, rabbit." Yuu snapped, not even glancing at me.

"Yessir." I said, giving him a mock salute.

"Lavi, are you completely ready?" Rhode gave me a curious glance, and I grinned.

"Yup." I said reassuringly. "All good to go."

And the items that I had so desperately wished to leave behind sat on my lap in a little black bag. Just like always.

"Well then, the only issue here is Kanda." Tykki put down his book, giving Yuu a very pointed look. The aggravated vampire just scoffed.

"I'll carry her." He snapped, getting up from the couch, barely moving the sleeping girl next to him.

"Excellent. Does this mean we're leaving now?" Rhode asked, clapping her hands together. The loud and abrupt noise caused Lenalee to jump a little. None of us were concerned, however. Newborns slept through nearly everything.

"I'll grab Kanda's stuff, I suppose." Tykki sighed, getting up. He left the book there, not even looking back at it. I was guessing he wasn't going to bother taking it with him. He usually only read books once, and once he was finished with them, I had never discovered what he did with them.

"Well then, let's all get our traveling moods in check," Rhode beamed. I winced.

By traveling mood, she meant prepare to be surrounded by succulent and juicy mortals for the next however many hours, knowing that it was impossible to sink your teeth into them and taste that beautiful red juice.

We all knew the consequences if we couldn't keep our 'traveling moods' in check.

Yuu stood, adjusting Lenalee so he could pull her into his arms bridal style. He gave me one little glance before heading for the door. "Kanda?" Rhode called after him, a little confused.

"You have everything you need with you, right? Tykki's probably already done. Let's go." He said, not missing a beat as he opened the door, balancing Lenalee effortlessly in one arm.

Rhode grabbed her little back pack, two pieces of fabric made to look like cat ears sticking off of it, and picked up her large suitcase effortlessly, skipping after Yuu. I watched them go, then easily slid into a standing position, grabbing the suitcase I had packed and clutching the little black bag in my free hand, not bothering to look back one last time at our living room of five years.

* * *

Outside, the morning light reached through the window, the sun reaching farther and farther into the sky.

I thought of horror movies and books about our race, about how a normal vampire in their minds couldn't touch the sunlight. This, of course, was a lie. We were free to walk in the daylight, free to stare into the sun's rays and bathe in it. The reason the rumor had been started was because we hunted at night; near any animal does. Hunting in the night is more convenient; it provides better cover, easier access, because we can see better than humans in the dark, hear better than them, and the natural fear created from the dark makes them easier targets.

Rhode was humming a tune under her breath, one I remembered her humming long ago, the first night I had met her. She often hummed this tune, maybe as an old reminder of her past as a human.

"How much longer?" Tykki asked the driver of the taxi, his english flawless. After having spoken Japanese for the past five years, some people would find it strange how easily he was able to get back into the habit of english. It wasn't so strange when one knew that he could speak approximately forty languages, and had been alive for over a hundred years.

"Just a little bit longer, sir. Maybe ten minutes." The driver said, a little nervously. Beauty made people nervous, envious. Maybe even a little scared. I could only imagine the thoughts going through this man's head as he was surrounded by four beautiful people.

"Tch."

I looked at Yuu, who looked slightly uncomfortable as he held Lenalee up, an arm around her shoulder, her breaths coming out softly. I smiled gently, before turning to look back out the window. Make that five.

"You're too easily aggravated." Rhode whispered, before continuing on with her song. Yuu hissed under his breath, not commenting.

The endless planes of grass were steadily becoming more bright, more green, more vibrant. Watching the sun rise and bring life to everything was amazing, even to someone like me, who had seen it so many times.

"There's something about the sun rising in England that makes a shiver run down my spine." Rhode said, staring out the window now, the humming no longer occupying the otherwise silent car.

The driver visibly relaxed, grinning widely, glancing at Rhode through the rearview mirror. "It truly is beautiful. I'm grateful for my surroundings every day."

"As well you should be," Rhode chimed, looking into the man's eyes in the reflection. "Life is quite short, after all."

The man didn't seem concerned by the way she talked, the fact that no normal little girl would talk like that, but was instead pleased, charmed by her pleasant tone.

"How much longer?" Tykki asked, and immediately the man's smile faded away, replaced by a nervous frown.

"Just a little longer, sir." He whispered.

* * *

"You shouldn't creep the poor driver out. He was doing his job perfectly fine." Rhode complained, sitting down on the waiting couch of the hotel we would be staying at. The sudden contrast of noise from the country side to the city was amazing, and a little annoying.

"He was taking too long. He drove too slow." Tykki replied easily, not fazed by the glare the girl was sending. Yuu sat on the arm chair, Lenalee cradled in his arms, a few people pointing and whispering.

"This isn't Tokyo," I stated. "People don't drive extra fast just because they can."

"We could have run faster." Tykki muttered. Almost whining.

"We could have. That would've meant carrying all of our things, and appearing randomly at the hotel with no car, no mode of transportation saying how we got here, causing possible suspicion. You know humans. They look at everything in a way where we could be dangerous." I replied.

"You give them too much credit." Tykki sighed. "They're not that smart. They're oblivious to pretty much everything around them, just so they can be. They don't see what goes on in the world when they're looking the other way."

"Neither can you." I sighed. "It's difficult to see what you're turned away from."

"Shut up," Yuu snapped. He looked furious. "You keep talking like that and someone _will_ notice."

Tykki scoffed, plopping himself down next to Rhode roughly, glaring at nothing. He was like a steaming child. I looked around, noticing someone who wore the uniform of the hotel, and beckoned the young girl over. Blushing, she made her way through the crowd until she was standing in front of me.

"Hi there, miss. Do you think you could help us out? We need to check in, but the line is really long, and we already have a room booked. Do you think you could speed things up a bit?" I asked, taking her hand, slipping a bill into her sleeve. She smiled sweetly, though clearly dazzled.

"Of course, just come this way and we'll get you all ready." She said, turning, indicating that we follow her. Rhode sighed, clearly not impressed she had to get up, and stood, followed by Tykki and Yuu. I paused.

"Where's Lero?" I asked. I had completely forgotten about the oddity, admittedly since I had last seen him on the night of Yuu's last live performance.

Rhode smiled. "In my suitcase." She said. I shivered.

"He probably wont be very happy when you let him out." Tykki muttered, stating the obvious.

"Well, he'll just have to deal with it." Rhode said haughtily, walking past us and following after the clerk, reminding us all what we were doing. We followed the young woman, who stepped up to the front desk and briefly spoke with one of the people, pulling them away from the current customer at the front.

"I'm sorry, what're your names?" The girl asked, turning to us.

"It would be under Tykki Mikk." Tykki said, sounding as bored as always. The girl flinched, turning her eyes to me in order to put a smile back on her face, as if reminding herself why she was doing this. Tykki always scared the humans away.

"Ah yes, of course. Mr. Mikk. Your rooms are ready." This time it was the woman behind the desk, and she turned to her computer, giving her current customer an apologetic smile before cicking away. A few minutes later, everyone sitting in silence as they waited, the woman had five key cards, and handed them to the girl.

"Right. Room 425." The girl said, smiling. "One of the bigger ones."

We said nothing, letting her lead us away, following her as we carried our luggage, refusing a carriage.

"This is a decent room." I said as soon as the girl was gone and we were standing in the middle of the sitting room of our two bedroom room.

"It was a bit pricy," Tykki said, sitting down. His luggage sat next to the brown armchair he had chosen, and it was clear he was not moving it any time soon. He looked tired, for an immortal. We always looked tired to humans, though.

"Well hello." Rhode said, opening her suitcase. Lero jumped out, his orange fur sticking up.

"You stupid bitch!" The cat hissed, claws sticking into the rug as he glared up at Rhode. "What the fuck do you think you were doing shoving me in there?!"

"How else was I supposed to take you with us?" Rhode asked innocently. "Just because it's been five years since I last did that doesn't mean you shouldn't still be used to it."

"You did that to him last time?" I asked. "I'm pretty sure you actually put him in a cat crate so he could be comfortable, but he ended up complaining about the other animals he had been stuck with in the luggage area."

"Whatever." Rhode rolled her eyes before grinning. "It was fun."

"Yeah, maybe in your saidistic little brain." Lero muttered, crawling away, his fur still sticking up. He disappeared under the coffee table, terrible cat moans coming from his body.

I stepped away from the scene, inside the room Yuu had disappeared to in a second. Yuu sat on the bed, staring down at a tucked in Lenalee, his hair curtaining his face from view.

"What do you want?" He asked, his voice that steady, emotionless tone he had perfected over the years.

"She's fine." I said.

"I know that."

"Do you?"

"Leave."

"Fine."

And then I was gone, in the hallway, the door closing softly behind me, my key card tucked safely into my front pocket. I walked slowly, not in any rush, simply finding something to do with the endless amount of time I had before me, not concerned about where we would go tomorrow, what kind of house we would end up living in for the next couple of years, what kind of people I would meet or connections I would make. There was no point in dwelling in the future anymore. I'd done it for so many years.

I hadn't realized how hungry I was getting until I passed a younger maid, her blood fresh, like the sweetest perfume. I swallowed, a pointless habit, controlling my movements with practised skill. Fresh air was suddenly necessary.

There are some stories that are the most predictable stories in the world. Every new event is easily predicted, every chance meeting is already obvious long before it happens. There are other stories that will surprise anyone and everyone, each twist new and original. There are some stories that follow both lines, predictable but with a twist, following a whole new regime. Some stories are just the same as other stories.

My current story, I wasn't so sure which one it was. Was it easily predicted what happened next, as I found my way to the roof?

Should I have been expecting the dangerously familiar smell?

Should I not have been so shocked at seeing the white haired boy standing there on the roof, his back turned to me, staring up at the clear sunny sky?

"Are you...?"

Vampires weren't supposed to feel surprise. Humans were. They weren't the ones who were supposed to be so mysterious, to pop up unexpectedly. That was our job.

_End Chapter_

A/N: _T.T_ This chapter felt like an absolute failure. For many, many reasons. It was long and boring and sort of like a filler. However, I felt it was necessary to have a lot of these conversations and Lavi's random thoughts, and plus I needed the last moments in Tokyo. But that aside, this was mostly to show a bit more of a connection with Lavi and his coven, and to show that their bonds make them a lot more human than most vampires.

To all those who have been waiting for me to update: I am sorry. Life has been...busy. Very, very busy.


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